


Double Bluff

by Linorien



Series: Q-branch Chronicles [3]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Fake spies who are real spies, No need to read previous parts of series, Q is having fun, although there are little tidbits for those who have, fake spies who are school teachers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4163202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linorien/pseuds/Linorien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bond has had to undercover in many different ways before, but none so strange as this. He is pretending to be a spy. Q signs James Bond, agent 007, up for a weekend adventure of pretending to be a spy as a cover for a real mission. And so the new Agent Silvereye must team up with Agent Andromeda to find out what new weapon of mass destruction is being made on yet another privately owned island. </p><p> </p><p>Or In which James Bond must pretend like this is his first time around and Q gets to relax.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Agent Silvereye

[ ](http://imgur.com/zLI4Ner)

* * *

“Q this is ridiculous,” Bond complained over his headset. “When do I get to move on to the actual mission?”

“You have to pick up the case at the station and then meet up with Agent Juli at the restaurant to trade the case for information--”

“Information you can easily get for me so I don’t have to go through this charade,” he grumbled.

“Information that will allow you to meet with your partner for the real mission,” Q finished. “I know you are frustrated but this is the cover that M thought would work best.”

“Oh I’m sure you are having fun. It’s not so different from your usual. Still surrounded by boffins who know what they are doing even if they know it is just a game.”

“And we would like to keep everyone thinking that this spy adventure is just a game to us too, Agent Silvereye,” Q smirked over the com line. Although Bond was right. Using the real life spy adventures company as a cover for an actual mission was brilliant. They could register on flights with fake names but it would be traced back to a legitimate company and any suspicious lurking that Bond did could be attributed to the fact that he was simply pretending to be a spy for the weekend. Bond was mostly disappointed that he had to complete these standard introductory missions first before getting onto the good stuff.

Q on the other hand was enjoying being a handler on really easy, stress-free missions as a break. He was still able to hack into CCTV streams to keep a closer eye on Bond but it wasn’t necessary. He had his personal laptop out on the desk next to the company computer and was able to run diagnostic tests on the operating system he designed before the final release to the public. He hoped to get it finished by the end of the next week. Already a select few individuals he trusted were beta testing it for him and dropping emails with feedback.

Furthermore, he did not have the pressure of running a branch here. He could be just another geek in a room of geeks. He left R in charge with all the paperwork he didn’t want to do and that required nothing more than basic approval. In the headquarters of the playacting spy company he was just their newest employee who had worked in IT and video game design before wanting a break for a short time. In order to secure some credibility, he had been coming in on weekends a few times before this cover mission while they had planned the real one. The story was that he had two weeks left on his current contract but his weekends were free and he was excited to start.

“Okay I have the briefcase.” Q returned his wandering mind back to the fake mission.

“Very good agent. You have two hours until your rendezvous at The Anchor with Agent Juli.”

“See that is a normal name. Why am I stuck with Silvereye?”

“You requested to be a top level security spy and their codenames cannot bear any resemblance to their actual persona. And a simple number is just so dull. Anyway, I thought it suited you.”

“And of course you are called Q.”

“All handlers here at London International Spy Adventures have single letters as their codenames. It was inspired by the actual British Secret Service. Interesting, right?”

“Fascinating Q,” he growled out. Q just continued to grin as he spun idly in the comfortable desk chair. “I’m signing off.”

“Just don’t forget about the meet up later. And do not show up with another girl on your arm.”

“No promises,” he replied as he flicked the earpiece into the river.

***

The tradeoff with Agent Juli went smoothly and, although it was not the high class restaurant Bond was used to on actual missions, he was able to still enjoy a pleasant drink on the terrace overlooking the river. She slid him a code on a scrap of paper that told him to be at the Tate Modern tomorrow at 0900 to meet his next partner. She would know more of the mission details.

Bond actually knew most of the mission details already from his official MI6 brief with M. What he didn’t know was how it was being framed in the context of the game. He trusted that Q had infiltrated the computer systems of the company perfectly and the fake mission would align nearly perfectly with the real mission. He was glad that he still had Q as his handler even if now both sides of the earpiece needed to be in code.

Q had also assured him that the handler for his partner would be good and he had manipulated the systems to give Bond a good partner since they didn’t allow solo missions. He would just have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure.

 

 


	2. Alpha Beta Soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you are introduced to the other handler and agent pair on the mission.

Q walked into the handler’s room at eight am sharp. He was the third person there; most didn’t wander in until a few minutes before their agent had a meet up. The other two individuals were senior staff in the handler’s room. They had both been working here for a few years and were in charge of organising the mission details, fake passports, and booking plane tickets. In other words, most of the work Q did without thinking for the double-ohs and trusted the interns to do for many of the other agents. As the rest of the handlers did, they went by letters. Being in charge they went by A and B while everyone else just chose a letter they liked. A was the one who Q had arranged to be working with on the mission for Bond.

“Good morning, Q,” A greeted when he walked in the room. “Early as usual.”

“Good morning, A, B. I’m used to an early schedule and it’s hard to shake,” he replied. In truth he had slept after he was done with work last night and then woke at five to check in with Q-branch before the mission and set up the external com link with R. Who then had to force him to leave his branch and return to the fake command central.

“Well neither of our agents have opened up their communication links yet so we have some time,” A said. “Would you like to join me up in the front today?”

“It would be my pleasure,” he smiled and strode up to the front desk in front of the larger screens and logged into the second computer. It felt more like home now and he unconsciously stood a little straighter. “Have there been any changes to the mission plan?” he asked as he pulled up the details and the tracking program on his agent.

“No, nothing has come up that would indicate that there would not be another shipment today. I’m actually surprised the company gave us permission to tail them. Most companies refuse and say that it would freak out their employees.”

“Perhaps they planned on warning their employees ahead of time,” Q suggested. Or perhaps the quartermaster of MI6 created a false company and filled in all the intel they had on the smuggling business to create an objective for this mission.

“I ran one mission last year where the manager forgot to inform their employees,” B added. “It turns out some members of the postal service used to be in the military.”

“Oh I remember that,” A chuckled. “Didn’t you have to have to tell your agent to jump in the Thames to get away?”

“Yea, it was a good thing he could swim.”

“It was a good thing our boss was on holiday in Spain that week you mean.” The three of them continued their friendly conversation as other handlers wandered in and put on their own headsets. At half past, A’s agent checked in.

“Agent Andromeda checking in,” both Q and A heard over their linked headsets.

“Good morning Agent, this is A speaking.” It had been decided that although the handlers could each hear both of the agents, they would only communicate with their own until the agents themselves met.

“Any changes in the mission sir?” she asked.

“No changes. You are to meet Agent Silvereye as planned in the Tate Modern and tell him what you know of the mission. He will lead to your next location from there.”

“Acknowledged. I will stay on line while I walk down to the Tate.” Q was jealous of the man for having agents who checked in promptly and kept in contact. He knew Bond wouldn’t check in until he was walking up the square in front of the building.

Q continued to poke around on his new operating system on his laptop and look at some of his sister’s recent pictures on her webpage while he waited.

“Has your agent not checked in yet?” A asked five minutes before nine.

“Not yet.”

“You are sure he will?”

“In about twenty seconds,” Q replied in the same nonchalant tone. A looks sceptical but in twenty seconds exactly Bond turns on the coms.

“Q.” The other handler is impressed.

“Good morning Silvereye.”

“Any changes?”

“None,” Q replies as he closes down the websites on his personal computer and puts it in standby. “She is waiting for you on the third floor.”

“Got it.” With that the link clicks back off from Bond’s end. A stares at him.

“If I didn’t know better I would say that you have done this before with him.”

“I have gotten familiar with him during pre-mission and then yesterday. Plus I have a close friend of mine who acts very similar so I can make a good guess.”

“A good guess indeed,” he muttered.

 

Bond took the escalator up to the third floor and turned toward the seating area. One quick glance told him that the woman seated in the far couch in the corner was the other “agent” he was suppose to meet up with. She was a taller woman, straight dark hair pulled up into a hair tie. With her wire-frame glasses she looked like she might really be a school teacher. Perhaps secondary school level. Intelligent, but without the self-importance that is usually seen in university professors.

In a motion disguised to look like he was smoothing back his hair, he turned his earpiece back on and coolly strode over.

“Miss Andromeda,” he greeted with an outstretched hand. She rose and reached out her hand.

“You must be Agent Silvereye.” She giggled a little when Bond took her hand and brought it up to kiss her fingertips.

“A pleasure to meet you.” They sat back down on the couch. “I believe you have the information on our joint mission?”

With a quick mental shake, Agent Andromeda pulled herself together. “Yes.” She took out a folded sheet of paper from inside her jacket. “This is the individual we will be tailing. He works at a small delivery company. They will be making a last delivery today and we are to find out who he is taking it to. Headquarters suspects that they might be a part of a smuggling ring. Our mission is to follow the delivery through to the end of the line without being seen and report back with all the information we can find out about the company. Top priority is not being seen. Any questions?”

“None from me. Sounds straightforward enough but ought to be a fun challenge.”

“A said you know where to start the tail?” Bond paused, uncertain, just as Q said to both of them: “an address has been sent to Agent Silvereye’s phone where you shall wait to begin following the target.”

“Thank you Q.” He pulled out his phone and sure enough there was an address. When he tapped the address it changed to a map that would lead them directly to the address. “I don’t get lost that easily, Q.”

“It’s here as a guideline that I’m sure you will disregard as you wish. However, your partner may appreciate the security of a map since she is primarily based out of Northern Ireland.” Bond got the hint and agreed to follow the map. They both stayed in character as they walked North to the back alley where Q’s map was directing them. Before long they reached a small garage.

“If our intel is correct, your target should be coming out of the door next to the garage soon,” A directed both of them. “He will stay on foot for the most part but you cannot lose him in the crowd.”

“If you are separated from each other you may tap your earpieces twice to connect the line between agents,” Q continued. “Of course you will also be connected with both of us.”

The agents settled down to wait behind a parked truck. “Best of luck,” A said.

“And please try to return all of your equipment in one piece,” Q added, much more cheerfully than he felt. 


	3. Just Doing my Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the mission gets underway

After tailing the delivery boy, really Bond estimated he was only seventeen, for two hours, the kid stopped at a Greggs and bought a sausage roll before sitting on a nearby bench to eat. Taking advantage of the respite, Bond went inside to buy food for each of them while Agent Andromeda kept an eye on their target outside. Sitting down finally and being able to rest her feet, she broke character.

"I must say this is a lot more fun than I expected. I feel like my brain has been working overtime to try to analyse everything, be aware of everything. Do you know what I mean?" Bond only nodded as he kept an eye on the target. "I mean I'm a school teacher so I'm used to being on my feet all day and being mentally challenged by the students I teach, but this adds an extra thrill of adrenaline. It's not something you come across in your daily life."

"I understand." Bond said flatly. "Life is boring without adrenaline." On the other end of the lines, Q rolled his eyes. Bond continued to let the woman talk to him about some of her students while sounding interested and acknowledging in all the right places. He did have to admire her for the way she subtlety straightened but continued talking when their target got up and walked away with the bag slung over his shoulder. As soon as he turned the corner, the two agents both sprung up and jogged to catch sight of him again.

A short half hour later saw their target entering a pub. Bond quickly spoke with Andromeda.

"Turn on your inter agent link and follow him in there. Find a table in the back but whisper to me where he is sitting." She nodded and strode into the establishment. He waited while she followed his instructions.

He is seated along the wall on the left as you walk in. Alone for now," she reported. "His back is to the door but he keeps looking over his shoulder and then glancing at his watch."

"Copy that." He pulled out a small, translucent disk from his front pocket. "Q?"

"Ready to receive."

Bond walked into the dim pub and meandered through the tables, making a show of looking for someone he knew was here. He could see Andromeda was a bit confused but she didn't give herself away. As Bond passed the table across the aisle from their target, he slipped his hand underneath the table and stuck the microphone underneath. Another minute of looking around and Bond waved at the woman before making his way over.

"What was that?" she whispered to him.

"A microphone," he responded. "All set Q." He waved the waiter over. "A blue hurricane for the lady and a martini, shaken not stirred."

They had just gotten their drinks when an older Japanese man joined their initial target at the table. When they started talking, Andromeda immediately looked in that direction. Bond called her name to direct her attention back.

"Don't look at them while they are talking," he told her quietly. "They are taking part in a secret deal; they will be paranoid and watching for people watching them. Just keep looking at me and sipping your drink while you listen." She flushed slightly in embarrassment but did all she was told. Bond, practiced as he was, kept up a steady stream of conversation while they listened to the conversation in their earpieces.

"Do you have it?" the new man asked.

"It's in my backpack."

"Have you opened it?"

"No, I was instructed not to open it," the delivery boy said. "It is still in the locked container. What is it?"

"You don't need to know. You just deliver," he growled.

"I have the delivery, man. Just give me the money and I'll forget about it until next week."

"There won't be a next week." The delivery boy raised his eyebrows at this. "The plan is nearly finished. The is the last package needed." He slid an envelope of cash across the table. "Hand over the package and you can go home to your girl." He opened his backpack and Bond stole a glance at the package in his peripheral vision while it moved bags. It was a metal box with fragile labels and a marker of which way to hold the box.

"Q, that looks like a chemical container," Bond said quietly.

"Any specific markings?" A asked.

"Fragile and a This Way Up. It's metal with airtight clasps though."

"Anything else?" Q asked.

"The receiver is holding it very carefully and is taking care to keep it close. Definitely not a commercially available chemical."

"Your new mission is to tail this man then," A said.

"Copy that," Agent Andromeda said as she nodded. The delivery boy had left as soon as the package was out of his hands and the other man had stood up to leave now too. Bond threw some cash on the counter and they followed him out, Bond grabbing the microphone on his way out and slipping it back in his pocket. Outside they were just in time to see the man step into a car and drive off. Bond looked down the street to see a taxi approaching and he flagged it down.

"Next cab is yours, agents," Q affirmed. Sure enough, when Bond saw the driver he recognized one of the drivers from MI6. He couldn't help a small smile knowing that it had been arranged by Q and R.

"Follow the blue car up ahead," Bond said. "Our friend forgot to tell us the next address in our bar crawl."

"Yes, sir," he said, not acknowledging the agent he was familiar with. The car took off, tailing the target's car with expertise.

"Cabbies do this?" the pretend agent asked in bewilderment. "I thought that only happened in the movies."

"They have to do as you ask,” Bond lied. “It doesn't matter to them so long as they are paid."

"Cool."

****  


While the rest of the handlers in command central started leaving for the day, their handlers kept up a steady stream of information they had found out the new man they were trailing while the agents relaxed in the back seat. As the MI6 agents had expected, the man they were tailing was soon pulling into the airport and being dropped off at the international terminal of Heathrow.

As soon as the other handler had realised that the airport was the most probable destination, A started looking for cameras within the airport he could access and Q began working on fake digital passports for both of them. He already had one made for Bond and only needed to add a few details to the one he had started for Agent Andromeda. He finished quickly and flicked them up to the main monitors while he worked on hacking into the check-in computer systems.

A had glanced up in surprise when he saw the passports appear on the monitors so quickly but said nothing as the other man next to him worked on breaking into the system. It was what he would’ve done next anyways. He finished accessing the cameras in time to see the target walk in the doors.

“Got him,” he said aloud.

Q glanced up. “I’ve just about got the check-in systems. Let me know which machine he goes to.”

“Machine number 19 it looks like.”

“Got him.” Q watched the screen as it showed a Mr. Jeffry Bates checking in for a flight leaving in two hours for Honolulu with a layover in Houston. “You are going to be in for a long flight, agents,” he said with a grimace.

“I hope you packed warm clothes,” A quipped.

“Where are we going?” Agent Andromeda asked as Bond thanked the MI6 cabbie and pretended to pay.

“Just scan your passports on the check in machines and you will see,” Q responded with a smile. A glanced over in surprise. Q had already booked both agents tickets on the same flight and had tricked the system to read their fake passports as real ones.

“I have always wanted to go to Hawaii!”

***

Bond was able to use his real security to get them through normal security without any trouble. Thankfully A didn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t get through without any issue. Only the real agents knew of the various weapons Bond carried with him at all times from Q-branch.

While they sat in the lounge waiting for their flight, Q and A spoke briefly.

“It’s going to be a long flight and you have already been here a long time,” A said. “Why don’t you go home and rest for a little.”

“No really I’m fine,” Q protested.

“You haven’t eaten since this morning,” A returned. Q opened his mouth to protest before realising that this was probably true. He didn’t have his branch regularly bringing him tea or R bringing him some food to mindlessly eat while he guided the operatives through missions like usual. His stomach affirmed this fact. Smiling sheepishly he agreed.

“We can trade off shifts since the flight will be long,” he proposed. “I will go home and rest now and relieve you after five hours. Then I’ll be here for the next five, we will switch after five again, I’ll have them again when they land in Hawaii. Then we will both be well rested for when things pick up again.” A thought it over, doing some mental math in his head before agreeing.

“I don’t know how close home is for you but there are some bedrooms on site here for times like these. They are stocked just like hotel rooms so you wouldn’t need to go all the way home. Open offer.”

“I think I will go home for my first break, but I might take you up on the offer after my shift. There’s just a few things I ought to do back home while I have a little bit of time.”

“Of course.”

Q went back on and explained to the agents what the trade off plan was and signed off. Grabbing his laptop he left the premises and returned to his flat. He needed to get in contact with the Q-branch base in Hawaii.


	4. More Fun Than Spy Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honolulu Airport.

It was two in the morning London time when Q relieved A for the final leg of the flight. He sent Bond a text to notify them of the hand over and checked back in with Q-branch Honolulu. The man who ran the branch over there was an older gentleman. Cut from the same cloth as Major Boothroyd was. Although Q had never personally flown out to meet the man, they had communicated often and he often sent tropical fruits with the prototypes Q requested. Really most of the other out-post branch heads seemed to adore Q and sent him small gifts. He wasn't going to complain.

It was a Lieutenant Christov that ran Q-branch H. Being on a small island they specialised in watercraft and it was this that Q was anticipating a need for. MI6 was still not sure what these deliveries were for but looking at Bond's past missions revealed a high probability of the project being based on a remote island. It certainly was advantageous to keeping people away from your evil doing.

With the flight status on the main monitor, Q was able to relax back in his seat for the remainder of the five hours of flight time.

***

The flight actually landed ahead of schedule and Q was able to safely restore the com link between HQ and the agents.

"Good evening Agents," Q greeted them. He smiled as he heard Andromeda squeak in surprise. She had forgotten about the earpiece. "I trust you had a pleasant flight."

"It was a downgrade from the last flight I took," Bond teased.

"Well when you can get two first class tickets in less than two minutes you can have my job."

"I'm sure I could've gotten an upgrade if you let me try."

"Absolutely not, Silvereye."

"I had a very nice flight, Q," the other agent added, quickly seeing that the bickering was not going to end soon.

"I'm pleased to hear that, Agent."

"What is the plan, Q?"

"After you finish in customs and all that, look for a man at arrivals. He should be holding a sign that says Silvereye. He understands the mission and will take you where you need to be next."

"Phrase of the month?" Bond asked.

"No. You shall ask him what coconuts are used for. If it is the correct man he will tell you they are for horses, hand grenades, and hypnosis."

"What?" Agent Andromeda asked in shock.

"That is a rather unique one Q," Bond agreed.

"It's an inside joke and it was four in the morning when we came up with it. You must admit that no one else will be able to guess it." Bond only chuckled.

"They always seemed more mundane in spy movies," the woman mused.

"Ah but where is the fun in that?" Q laughed.

They laughed for a little longer before Bond sobered and returned to the mission. Not that he was truly distracted. “Q how are we going to know where the target is headed if we are going with the ride you are providing? He is ahead of us in the que now and he will move off before us.”

“Does he still look that same as he did at the beginning of the flight?”

“Blue shirt now but otherwise the same.”

“You are in which section of the airport?” Q asked, already breaking into the CCTV.

“Declarations.” Q typed quickly, hacking in like he did this everyday. Well, every other day maybe. He spotted them, spotted the target, and snapped an image to send to the MI6 contact.

“There will be a tracker placed on your target while you are otherwise occupied. So long as that stays on, you will not have to worry.” Agent Andromeda looked sceptical but took visual cues from Bond’s relaxed and trusting demeanor. “Focus on meeting with your ride. He will fill you in more. I think you will like what he has for you Agent Silvereye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are confused by the times in this chapter, know that the flight is about 20 hours not including layover. I don't know when the flight left really, I just needed it to be early in the morning for Q while future events happen. So please forgive the timey wimey mess.


	5. Gadgets and Gizmos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've got gadgets and gizmos galore!

“Now listen carefully, Agents.” Lieutenant Christov was explaining to the pair of them the new equipment they were receiving. “A nondescript ballpoint pen, but if you depress the end, like so, it will deliver a shock with enough voltage to render a person unconscious. If you need to actually use the pen to write, press in on the clip on the side instead. And for you, Agent Silvereye, there is a special USB from Q. It will allow him to remotely access the computer it is plugged in to. You are also permitted to leave this behind if necessary.

“This next item you are not permitted to destroy,” the Lieutenant scowled at them. “This is still a work in progress.” He then strode to the end hallway and subsequently to the wet dock for the boats they built. They stopped in front of a sleek grey boat. “This is your ride. I call her Night Wing. Designed to blend into the cover of night.”

Bond looked over the boat appreciatively as the older gentleman explained which gadgets and modifications had been added to the craft. There was a long flat nose to the boat which only comfortably fit two people. Like a convertible, it had a top that would glide forward to enclose the cabin and allow the boat to submerge. He could also see that there was a button to raise a periscope.

“Now if you would climb into the boat,” the Lieutenant was saying. “I can show you a few more things. Right here is the button for the periscope as Agent Silvereye has no doubt already noticed. When you press this silver button here,” he pressed a little silver button in the middle of the dashboard. “A panel slides down to reveal the sonar. This dot up here is the location of your friend on whom we placed the tracker at the airport. This compartment here has re-breathing apparati. One for each of you. Keep your mouth around the mouthpiece and breathe normally. There is enough oxygen for three hours. Any questions?”

“No, sir,” Andromeda answered for both of them.

“Then I would suggest you get going. There are also sandwiches in one of the compartments if you get hungry.” After thanking him again, the younger agent climbed into the boat and the door in front of them opened to reveal the ocean. Bond glanced at the sonar and immediately took off, the speed whipping the wind past them as they flew under the cover of night.

***

The growing darkness was offset by the rising of a nearly full moon at their backs. The sandwiches had already been eaten, both agents more hungry than they had realised. Bond kept his sights on the swiftly moving tracker as they cut across the ocean. The calm waters keeping the ride as smooth and soundless as was possible.

As they were still racing across the open sea, A returned to the command centre. He paused in amazement at the scene that greeted him.

The man going by Q stood tall at the front of the room. One of the large monitors on the wall had a satellite map with two markers on it that were currently in the Pacific Ocean heading West of Hawaii. The other large screen displayed the known information about the company. The man himself had three laptops running in front of him and was switching between them with ease despite the mug of tea in his hand. What he was doing on those three computers was unclear but it looked impressive.

"Good morning A," he greeted without turning round.

"Morning....  How did you know it was me?"

"Heard the footsteps, took a guess." He turned around. The man looked energised and excited. "Sleep well?"

"Yea." He stepped up to the computer Q was not standing in front of. "Mission updates?"

"Our agents landed safely in Hawaii and are now following the target via a tracking signal. Once they reach the facility I can connect us to their network and we can see what they are making."

"Don't we know what they are making?" A asked.

"Actually no. They left it blank on the form."

"Oh?" He looked up at the digital form that was displayed on the front screen. "You're right. That's odd. All questions are supposed to be answered in order to be submitted."

"Something fell through the cracks evidently."

"Who fell through the cracks?" B asked as he walked in.

"The company our agents are following didn't complete the form," A explained. "Q noticed it so our agents get to try and figure out what it is that they make there."

"Exciting. Almost like a real mission," he laughed. "Well I've got to do admin today so I'll be in my office."

"Don't worry. Q can take primary on the mission and I can keep an eye on the room as well." B nodded and thanked them both as he left A to catch up on the mission.

"So our agents know that they have to find out what is being produced there?"

"Yes. They have the night to cover their approach. It will be late enough that any guards on patrol will be not on the top of their game. And our agents are well rested after the flight."

"Where did they get the boat?"

"An acquaintance of mine makes custom boats for a living and I asked nicely." Q had a wide grin across his face as he answered. "He was also kind enough to gift them with some much needed fuel."

"He just gave them the boat?" A was a bit thrown off.

"It's a new model. Needed to be tested anyhow. You're welcome to check in with them yourselves though."

A nodded and picked up his headset from the table. "Evening Agents. This is A. Q has filled me in. Any new updates?"

“Nothing since we left shore,” Agent Andromeda responded immediately. “It’s been very quiet here.”

“There is an island that your target seems to be approaching,” Q said after a while as he looked on the map on the large screen.

“I can see him slowing down,” Bond agreed. “We will go to radio silence.”

“Understood.” The handlers watched on the large screen as the first marker slowed to a stop before moving on again at a much slower pace. The distance between the two markers began decreasing quickly. Faintly through the earpiece Q could hear the sound of the boat submerging as Bond transformed the boat into a submarine for their final approach. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a semi-related note: if you are also a huge fan of Ben Whishaw, do go and check out the series "The Hour." It is incredibly good and well written. A mere 12 episodes to fly through in two days and you will come away loving Ben even more. Also, Ben's character is extra adorable because he loves Casino Royale and calls his friend Moneypenny while she calls him James. Too funny.


	6. The Final Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The factory is infiltrated and danger lurks close behind.

Thankfully both agents were able to keep their earpieces dry enough after swimming the last few metres, so A and Q were still able to remain in contact with them. After receiving confirmation that communication was still possible, the agents were left to infiltrate on their own. They managed to avoid most of the guards but the one they did run into accepted their story of being in a fake spy game that the boss had approved.

“What is your mission?” the guard then asked.

“We have to find our way to the control centre,” Bond replied. “Someone from the company is suppose to meet us there with a final challenge. We lost our maps though. Could you at least point us in the right direction?” The guard seemed unsure but Andromeda turned her begging eyes on him and he relented.

“Keep going down this corridor. Take the second left then the third right. And if anyone stops you you can say you are doing something for Terry.” They thanked him and walked on.

“Excellent thinking, Agents,” A complemented before turning his attention back to one of the other handlers in the now full room. The two agents said nothing as the real agent set the example of stony silence. Together they snuck down the hallways, Bond always peeking around the corner first. Before long they made it to the command centre. There were three guards outside the door.

“Wait right here,” Bond whispered in her ear. “Don’t move until I come back for you. You have the pen?” She nodded and pulled it out of her pocket. “Don’t be afraid to use it.” Getting confirmation again, he slipped around the corner into the shadows. Approaching the guards from behind he was able to render them unconscious without much of a fight and drag them out of the way. He took a quick peek into the room to check for more guards but saw that, probably due to the time of night, it was deserted.

“Andromeda,” he whispered. She jumped and held out the pen like a knife but relaxed once she saw who it was. “All clear.” They walked into room and Bond immediately plugged in the USB. Q grinned and his fingers began to fly while the field agents poked around by sight.

Agent Andromeda walked to the large glass window that overlooked the rest of the facility. Lights were dimmed but automated machines were still running and there were a few guards patrolling the floor. She was amazed at the scale of the place. In the darkness she could not see how big the island was but it seemed like whoever was in charge had excavated the entire landmass and then had dug down deeper. As far as she knew, they were only on sea level but there looked to be ten stories above them and another seven further down.

Down below was mostly large vats of strange liquids that were being stirred as they boiled. The different vats were all connected via hoses to a central column that strongly resembled a rocket. It probably was a rocket.

“Q, what have you got?” Bond asked as he dug around through some papers on the big desk at the front of the room.

“I’ve got a lot,” he responded. “A blueprint of the facility for a start. And control of the systems.” He glanced over his shoulder to see A busy helping someone else. He switched to just speaking with Bond. “I’ve sent the chemical info to R; she’s much better than I am in that area. I can tell you it does look dangerous. You may need to neutralise it in some way.” He switched back to speaking with both agents. “See if you can find a way to shut down the systems from where you are. We may need to be able to force a powering down.”

A notification on his computer blinked with a message back from R. He grimaces at the message. They need to get out of there. He shoots R back a message asking if there is any way to neutralise it.

“If we pull the fire alarm,” Andromeda asks, “would that trigger a shutdown system?”

“Yes it will,” Q replied immediately. “I can trigger that remotely, you need to get out of there now.”

“What is wrong?”

“The chemical they are mixing up in the large vats is Methacryloyloxyethyl Isocyanate.” Despite claiming to be a poor chemist, the syllables rolled off Q’s tongue.

“That doesn’t mean anything to us, Q,” Bond reminded him.

“It’s fatal if you inhale it,” he explained. “Good enough reason to destroy it and run?”

“Fatal?” the fake agent squeaked. “I thought these missions weren’t suppose to be dangerous! We could die.”

“Hush,” Bond said sternly. “It’s part of the experience,” he lied. “You paid for an adventure that is supposed to make you feel like you are a real spy. The best agents get the most dangerous missions.” She calmed down slightly at the unexpected praise. “I am paired with Q because I trust him. You are paired with A who is the senior handler. He thinks highly of you. Pull yourself together and proceed with the mission.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. Exhaled. Took another in. Exhaled. Then looked back at Bond. “What do we need to do Agent Silvereye?”

“Q?” Bond asked. “What do you need us to do?”

“It is an understudied compound so there isn’t a guaranteed safe way to dispose of it. Water might create a reaction to turn it into carbon dioxide but if you can do anything else to prevent the rocket from launching, I will help in any way that I can.” Q mildly wondered if he would regret those words. “Your top priority is getting out of there safely.”

“Q,” Bond said warily. “You might want to trip the alarms and go private. I will be following my usual.” Q rolled his eyes but understood the message.

“Understood. Agent Andromeda; I’ll be flying blind so follow Silvereye’s lead.” She confirmed and Q began a countdown to sprinkler systems. “Three... two... one...run.”

As the field agents took off running through the compound, Q keyed in the final code to reconfigure the earpieces. A and the rest of London Spy Adventures would be locked out of both earpieces, Q could still talk with both of them through his MI6 headset in his bag, and R would be able to communicate with Q and Bond both. Q then left only the minimal trackers up on the main screen and left the mission log up on the other laptop with a note that said mission success. Quietly, he slid his own laptop into his bag and slipped out of the room. From his custom phone and his own headset, he was able to stay connected to the mission as he took the MI6 provided car back to Q-branch.

Instead of running directly toward the exits as Agent Andromeda had predicted, Bond lead the way to the lower levels. Together they raced down six flights of stairs, no one paying them much mind in the chaos of the sprinklers and alarms and shouted orders. Bond stopped on the lowest terrace and told his partner to duck behind the railing. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he whipped out his gun and determinedly shot the rocket puncturing the gas tank that had been nearly full. Andromeda started in surprise. She hadn’t noticed the gun and it seemed much more real than she had expected.

“Underwater escapes, Q?” Bond asked. The younger man shook his head as he looked on his map of the building.

“None. You’ll have to run back up five flights of stairs.”

“Only two from where they are,” R interrupted. “Looking at the blueprint combined with satellite, it looks like corridor XF8 slopes up to lead straight to the beach.”

“Lead them there, R.” Q commanded since he could not see what she saw. As she directed the field agents, Q arrived at MI6 and was able to begin his walk down to the subterranean Q-branch. While walking by accounting, Bond notified him that he could hear some guards shouting to get to the command room.

“I’m on it,” Q responded immediately. “You focus on getting clear of the facility.” Another tap on his mobile screen as he walked showed the download at 97% complete. Through his earpiece he heard a gunshot and a distant explosion of a tank elsewhere in the facility. He saw that it was only basic windows operating system files that were left to download so he aborted the transfer and triggered both detonations. One EM pulse to wipe the data from any unprotected hard drives in the vicinity, and another larger explosion to wipe out any unprotected lifeforms nearby.

He couldn’t see it, but one of the guards caught fire and dove backwards off the ledge in a panic. He landed on the main floor, right in the gas leak caused by Bond’s earlier bullet holes in the rocket tank.

Agent Bond and Agent Andromeda were running across the beach and just managed to dive into the water when the gas caught fire and the factory exploded. A shock wave buffeted them as they breathed through their rebreathers and swam back to the boat.

Q walked into his branch and congratulated R on a successful mission.

“I am a bit surprised it went so smoothly,” she commented as she moved her laptop from the front of the room back to her desk. “For a fake spy agency they do good work.”

“People pay a lot of money to pretend to be action heroes for a weekend,” Q sighed. “They do run a tight ship over there.”

“Were you scouting again?” she asked knowingly.

He reopened his laptop and regained control of the room before answering evasively, “There may be one person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In related news, there is a new Spectre trailer!!  
> I am overjoyed to see so much more of Q and I hope this reflects on his screen time in the film as well. It looks like Bond trusts him and Monneypenny over the new M which could be fun.  
> Plus the new villain is totally Blofeld no matter how much they are denying it. Just look at that collar.   
> I am just so excited to see the movie.


	7. Something Suspicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which A is more observant than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies. I meant to post this earlier.

A looked up toward the center of the room as he finished helping a stressed handler deal with a difficult client only to find it empty. No sign of Q. Or his laptop. There was an open file on his computer that marked the mission as a success, but something seemed off.

“Has anyone seen Q?” he asked the room at large. “The man who was up in front today?” he clarified.

“He left not too long ago,” a short haired woman replied. “Closed down his programs, took his laptop, and rushed off. He looked like he was in a hurry to get somewhere.” A nodded his head pensively.

“Thank you.” Suspicious, he turned back to his computer. He was able to see the tracker on the larger map of where their target was located. Using those coordinates, he quietly worked hard to gain access to a nearby satellite. This was not a skill he was supposed to be using; with luck, the company wouldn’t even know that he could do this. He just happened to be good with computers. Keeping it off the large screen, he looked at the live satellite image of that area of the pacific.

Right where the tracker was, a plume of smoke was rising from an island. He could see distortions in the coloration that indicated a fire. Alarmed, he put back on his headset to try and contact the two agents.

“This is A. Come in please.” There was no response.

Instead, his computer screen blacked out and was replaced by elegant green text on the screen. _You are better than I hoped for. Contact me. -Q_

There was no way to contact him but then the screen faded out show his personal email with a new message. There was no subject but he opened it up to see time stamped, high quality image of Agents Silvereye and Andromeda lying next to each other on top of the boat in the middle of the ocean, drinks in hand. He glanced up at the sender line. It read: _QuillOS@UniversalExports.co.uk._ He hit reply and began composing a message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know. Terribly short. Epilogue will be up in a sec.


	8. Epilogue: An Addition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is different in Q-branch.

A few months later, Bond walked into Q-branch to pester Q until the younger man forced him to go to medical. It was a competition between the double-ohs to see how long it would take before Q forced them to medical. He didn’t have high hopes for today as he knew his face was sporting a bruise or two and there was crusted blood in his hair. His suit had taken the brunt of the knife attacks thanks to Q’s experimenting but there was one direct hit on his arm that had gone through the fabric. All in all, not nearly the worst condition he had returned in but there was still reason enough for him to be sent to medical by an irate quartermaster.

“Q you have no idea how much it pains me to say it,” he began as soon as he walked in through the frosted glass doors. “But I miss that fake mission. The guards won’t believe me anymore when I say I that it is just a fake spy game.”

Q turned around and crossed his arms. “I don’t think they believed you 007. I believe the guard was melted by Andromeda’s innocent expression. You haven’t been able to pull an innocent expression in nearly seventy years, old man.”

Bond feigned mock hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. “How could you say such cruel things?” Only, the moving of his arm shifted his suit enough for Q to see the slit. His teasing expression turned serious.

“Is that a stab wound?” he asked as he walked closer. “I knew you were hit when you said you were fine.” He grabbed the sleeve and ran his fingers over the break in the fabric, forgetting about the man wearing the suit almost entirely as he muttered to himself. Bond, more than used to Q’s single minded focus on his experiments, surveyed the rest of the room.

While looking at the Q-branch minions, he noticed an unusual sight: two of them were seated at the same table. Although the minions collaborated often, any sharing of ideas was usually done over the network or in a separate workshop. Furthermore, there was no empty desk to suggest someone had just briefly moved over to help.

“Q why are two of your minions at the same desk?” he asked. “And is one of them new? I don’t recognise him.”

“Training program,” Q replied as he dragged Bond’s suit with the agent inside it over to his workspace. “He has been hired and I think he will fit best in Logistics and Handling but we have been bouncing him around for a few weeks just to be sure. You actually already know him.” Q called out the man’s name and motioned him upfront. Bond looked closer but he did not see anything that looked familiar.

“Yes sir?” the man asked. Then he felt it. A tiny spark of recognition.

“Agent Bond here wanted to be introduced to the newest Q-branch employee. James Bond, this is Terence Livie. Mr. Livie, Agent Bond. Although feel free to continue to call him Agent Silvereye,” Q smirked. “He loves that.”

  
Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the story, I hope you enjoyed it.  
> Comments are always appreciated. I tried to write the ending differently and I'd particularly like to know if you think it worked better.  
> Prompts are also welcomed with open arms.
> 
> Thanks again. I wish I could give exploding pens to you all. Cheers.


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